Jean-François Copé has been declared the new leader of the opposition Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party after a contested weekend vote that was plagued by allegations of fraud on both sides.

Jean-François Copé has been declared the new leader of the opposition Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) by the partys internal electoral body after a contested weekend vote that was plagued by allegations of fraud on both sides.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozys centre-right opposition UMP voted for its next leader in a Sunday poll that pitted former prime minister François Fillon against the UMPs Secretary General Copé in a campaign that split the party and sparked widespread derision.

Both camps claimed irregularities in some voting offices -- where there were more votes were counted than registered voters -- and said they would contest the result.

Fillon, who was widely predicted to win, was furious on Monday morning. His supporters claimed he had won by 244 votes after some 150,000 UMP members had cast their ballot. Copé, in turn, claimed he had won by more than 1,000 votes, all before any official announcement.

Copé, meanwhile, was always confident of victory: The UMPs membership has accorded me a majority of their votes and therefore has elected me as the president of the party.

The vote comes six months after former UMP leader and president Nicolas Sarkozy was defeated by Socialist François Hollande.

Copé now faces the difficult task of re-uniting a party deeply divided in an election battle that has drawn widespread derision and delighted the partys opponents, especially the far-right National Front (FN), which is determined to overtake the UMP as the main voice of France's conservative opposition.

It is obvious that whoever is elected president of the UMP will have no legitimacy whatsoever, given that he will be in charge of a party broken in two, FN deputy-leader Florian Philipott has said.

Both Fillon, 58, and Copé, 10 years his junior, were seen as advocates of free market policies and economic reform. But they differ on social issues -- Copé shares Sarkozy's approach on tighter immigration policies and a strong-armed, populist agenda on Muslim integration. Last month he published A Manifesto for an Uninhibited Right, in which he lambasted a culture of anti-white racism within immigrant communities in impoverished urban areas.

UMP/ Gaullists /Right-Wing/French Conservatives = unofficial socialists, a bit like Massachusetts Richard Tisei. Disturbingly even MORE pro-EU than the Official Socialists. Prefers more taxpayer funded perks than them as well.

National Front = Only political party in France that hates Muslims. Also despises Jews, Christians, Americans, British, and anything else that is not French. Except Uncle Adolf though. Hes an honorary Frenchman to them.

Extreme Social Conservative = a bit skeptical about whether allowing radical jihadists unlimited resources to pour into France is a wise policy. Otherwise, loves abortion on demand, total ban on firearms, gay marriage, liberal divorce laws, euthanasia, every perversion under the sun, and thinks Christianity is an outdated, oppressive system of morals.

Staunchly Pro-American = Loves Obama, and loves to vacation in Marthas Vineyard. Also a huge fan of Jerry Lewis. Otherwise despises the yanks, their military, and their outdated system of morals. Really, REALLY hates Israel.

Populist Agenda = Wants to shove total EU and UN control over the lives of French citizens down their throats, no matter how much the little people oppose it. They dont know whats best for them.

Austerity - Supports limited government the same way George W. Bush did

Free Market/Lazzie-fair policies - Believes ONLY 99% of French corporations should be under total control of the French government, NOT 100% of them like those draconian politicians in the Socialist Party.

Anti-Muslim firebrand  Believes France should switch to Arabic as their national language in two or three generations, rather than begin the switch over now. Surrender takes time, you know.

Monsieur Obama  A basically good man (because he is black, and therefore good) who exposes what racist dolts those American swine are for not giving him 100% of their votes. Unfortunately he is too right wing for French tastes, as he is not sufficiently screaming enough about Ozone doomsday, has not yet confiscated every firearm in that pitiful country or turned over America to its rightful UN masters. “Alas, zee best we can hope out of America”, signed the French regretfully.

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